Across the Waters
by Harmonybass
Summary: Now, everyone knows of the Ghouls. Their existence was discovered at large in Tokyo, Japan, followed by a war that nearly drove them to extinction. However that is the wrong place and time for this story. This is what comes after it all. After the Wars and Ghoul occupation of Japan. This story takes place on the other side of the world.
1. Chapter 1

Nomad (Jacob Luther)

The air was cold. It sliced with frozen knives against Jacob's face. He stood sideways on the rough slanted shingles of a tall church steeple. A bright red arm of smooth Rc cells wrapped around the tall central metal spire at the point of the tower, holding him in place. His eyes scanned the horizon, half-lidded with boredom as he traced the faintest spines of a distant city with his gaze.

With a sigh he slowly released the spire from his Rinkaku and fell to the ground, Ghoul strength allowing him to land with hardly a scratch. The limb of cells retracted into the small of his back and he walked forward to push the worn doors of the church open.

In truth the church had been abandoned for some time. The stained glass windows had been removed when the church and its people relocated, leaving a tall wooden structure without a purpose. When Jacob had wandered through it's doors he was treated to worn pews and old Bibles. However after living at the place for a few weeks he had made some improvements.

Now there was a platform of large, flat stones he had gathered in the center of the building's main room. The remnants of the fire he occasionally lit overnight now present on it's charred surface. The pews had been butchered, split and smashed as kindling for the new source of warmth. The various religious texts had been destroyed as well. The golden-edged pages torn from their covers and stuffed into a thick sack made up of the upholstery on the pews.

A little home in a world that wanted your species eliminated.

* * *

Hey Y'all I'm back! Sorry for not posting in awhile. I'm trying to start writing again and I hope these chapters kinda make up for my absence.

~HB


	2. Chapter 2

Jade Dragon (Thalia Peters)

The city was loud and bright. Long lines of cars backed up as far as the eye could see, their lights casting red, white and orange everywhere. The sound of car horns and voices drowned out anything else.

Thalia overlooked it all from the roof of one of the tallest buildings in the city. Atop her head was a green mask depicting a snarling Asian Lung was pulled down over her face, crystals of Rc cells sprouted from her back growing until they were almost two meters long. Feathers of solid emerald flesh glinted in the light of the city below her. Her Ukaku. When she had gotten her mask made for her it was no big secret that her Kagune were a major influence on the design and theme.

She crouched and gazed through her mask at the humans below, searching for her meal. An alley, blanketed with shadows. The scent of Human wafted up to her, probably some kind of back-alley deal, the perfect prey.

The muscles in her legs tensed before she launched herself off of the building. The wings drew backwards towards her feet as she dove silently towards her prey like a living missile. At the last second her Ukaku snapped out, catching the air like a parachute and slowing her descent drastically. She landed on a the hood of a blue Toyota Prius parked on the side of the street. The hood of the car cratered on impact and the front windows shattered, showering the surrounding sidewalk with cuboid bits of safety glass. She slowly stood and turned to face the two humans, the red centers of her eyes glowed menacingly from within the pits of black in her mask.

She hopped off of the car and slowly stalked down the alley, " _Gotta make this fast…_ " She thought as she watched the surrounding civilians quickly flee the scene, more than a few screaming into the receivers of their phones.

Thalia spread her Kagune and shot down the alley.


	3. Chapter 3

Nomad (Jacob Luther)

"Yo, I heard this place was haunted." , A voice woke Jacob from his nap, the smell of living human filled his nostrils. "Yeah, Marco said that if you sneak out here at night the lights of the church still turn on." Two humans, just outside the front entrance, Jacob's eyes filled with ink and his irises began to glow bright red. He hadn't eaten in two weeks.

"I bet it's just some bum keeping his stuff here."

"You think there's anything good in there?"

Jacob licked his lips, he could almost taste the tender flesh.

The ghoul sat up where he lay and wrapped the false mattress around his body, the paper inside crinkling ever so slightly.

The door creaked open.

"Yo! The seats have been trashed!"

The second voice was quick to spot the figure in the middle of the room, "Shhh! There's someone over there!"

Their footsteps quieted, "I guess that explains the lights…"

"Yo!", The first one called out, "You homeless or something?"

Jacob was fighting his instincts to remain still, keeping up the act of quiet homeless boy.

The second voice chuckled, He walked closer and threw a small piece of splintered wood at Jacob, hitting him lightly on the head. "Hey, Hobo! This is private property! Get out or we're gonna make you!", the first voice snickered at the threat.

The Ghoul stood and turned around, revealing his glowing eyes to the pair as the makeshift mattress fell down around his ankles. The two humans were both boys in their teenage years, probably just looking for trouble as they couldn't find entertainment elsewhere.

Before they could scream they were impaled by twin limbs of crimson Rc cells. Jacob spoke for the first time in weeks as he lifted them with his Rinkaku and drew them closer, "I'm sorry you were so unfortunate… To have stumbled across me today…", his voice was raspy from its lack of use, "But, I thank you for the meal."

It's easy to assume that those boys were never heard from again.


	4. Chapter 4

The quinque missed Thalia by an inch, slicing through a few strands of her dark hair. She barely had enough time to recover before a second strike carved a thin gash into her arm before the blade was returned to its sheath, blood immediately seeped from the wound. The doves had secretly been tracking her movements, using her killings to locate the building in which she hid her kills, an abandoned parking deck on the outskirts of the city. Now she was up against two of the CCG's more experienced Agents.

"You've got nowhere to run. Surrender and you might be spared.", Thalia recognized him as Baker Jarrell, known to ghouls as the Berzerker. He may seem calm now, but she knew that under that thin layer of self control was a monster. Capable of taking out even the strongest of Ghouls without breaking a sweat.

Next to him was a younger girl, short blonde hair only just brushing the shoulders of the white cloak that all Doves wore. Sophie Farr, the Quinque Killer. Rumor has it that during weapons training she went through almost an entire squad's worth of quinque. Her raw strength was just too much for the normal CCG weapon. During her first mission she was also rumored to have ripped her Quinque directly out of a Ghoul's back. The Kagune she stole that day had since weathered whatever she put them through. Taking the form of heavily armored Koukaku Gauntlets. She glared at Thalia, almost more menacing that another Ghoul would have been.

Thalia materialized her Ukaku, "You both know that for Ghouls. Surrender to the CCG isn't an option."

The Berzerker nodded slowly in understanding, "Then you have made your decision." He drew the long, broad blade from a sheath at his side, the Quinque glowed menacingly in the dim light. "I will show you no mercy."

The three seemed to vanish, their forms blurring before reappearing in a group. Weapons and Kagune already locked together in a power struggle. Thalia grunted under her mask, dropping into a crouch before surging back up, throwing the Doves back a few feet. Sophie grimaced, "There is no hope for you. Give up and I'll make it quick and painless."

Thalia almost chuckled, "Yeah right."

Their forms vanished again, becoming nothing but a whirlwind of Quinque striking Kagune. Neither side managing to get the upper hand on the other. Thalia swiped and slashed with her Ukaku, dodging strikes while managing to throw in a few of her own.

The CCG had picked these two for a reason. They knew her classification as a Ghoul. Her Ukaku weren't suited for drawn out engagements. They knew that up against these two Doves, she would tire eventually.

Thalia felt that time fast approaching. Her Ukaku ached, almost at their limit. She had to think of something fast.

The three broke apart, sliding back a few feet. The Berzerker had long since lost his serene demeanor, a cruel grin split his face, "You'll lose that fighting spirit eventually.", He cackled, "And when you do? I'll tear those wings from your back myself!"

He lunged forward, his sword raised for a final strike on the exhausted Ghoul.

"Cocky Bastard…"

With only a few seconds to spare, Thalia thrust an Ukaku forward, burying it as deep as she could into the Dove's midsection. His Quinque clattered onto the floor. The Berzerker grunted as blood began to seep from his mouth. Thalia whispered into his ear, "This is for all the Ghouls you've murdered."

Meanwhile, Sophie watched calmly from a distance while Baker Jarrell took his final breath. She huffed in irritation as Thalia shoved his body aside, blood pooled around his motionless form. The Quinque Killer raised her fists, "Finally, I thought that psycho was never gonna croak." She turned to Thalia, "Now it's just you and me. Jade Dragon."

The ghoul in question rose on shaky legs before falling back to her knees, her strength having all but vanished. She panted as the Dove slowly walked closer, desperately trying to regain her breath.

Sophie kicked her. _Hard_. The Ghoul tumbled almost a hundred feet before coming to an abrupt and painful stop against a wall, cracking the concrete surface. Thalia groaned, her left arm was definitely broken.

The Quinque Killer slowly pursued her opponent, ready to deliver the final blow, "Y'know. For a Ghoul as well known as the Jade Dragon I must say I'm a little disappointed." Sophie said as she neared the Ghoul, "I expected a bit more of a fight than this. It's been a while since someone _really_ got my blood pumping."

Thalia grit her teeth as she forced herself to rise from the floor to her knees. She looked up at the CCG Agent, "Sorry I don't live up to your expectations."

Sophie was now standing over her. She brought her fists together over her head, preparing to pound her opponent into the ground. She sneered, "Pathetic…"

Then suddenly the sight of a bright green Bikaku caused her to snap her arms down to fend off the blow. She landed a few meters away, sliding to a stop and narrowing her eyes at Thalia.

The Ghoul in question was now sporting a long Bikaku tail. Thalia rose her her feet, cradling her broken limb as her eyes glowed beneath the now cracked dragon mask. "You wanted a fight…" Her voice was breathy and showing her obvious fatigue. But despite how tired she was, the tapered Bikaku whipped swiftly over her shoulder, "Come and get it."

Sophie only smirked, "A Chimera huh?", she licked her lips, "Finally something to get excited about!"


	5. Chapter 5

Thalia's bikaku whirled back and forth in a flurry of offensive strikes, only to be blocked by the Quinque Killer's gauntlets without fail. Every so often the CCG agent would get in a few strikes of her own, forcing the Ghoul she was fighting to dodge and back up a few steps. Pretty soon the two combatants were both beginning to display signs of exhaustion. They broke apart, coming to a stop a few meters away from each other.

"You know..", Sophie panted, "You seemed pathetic at first, Jade Dragon." The two collided once again, ending their exchanges and strikes in a power struggle, Bikaku and Quinque locked together. "But now I'm beginning to see why many at the CCG fear you."

Thalia dropped into a crouch and swept the Dove's feet out from under her. Sophie grinned and tilted her head to the side just in time to watch Thalia's emerald tail bury itself into the concrete where her head had been only moments before.

Thalia pulled out her Bikaku and only narrowly dodged a few lightning fast punches as the Quinque Killer leaped to her feet and pressed onward in her attack. The Ghoul had to admit, this was the first fight with a Dove that had lasted longer than a few minutes. She grinned, "You too.", she deflected another strike, "I thought you'd be this lumbering mass of muscle." She leaped back to give herself some breathing room as she swiped at Sophie with her Bikaku from a distance. "But you look strangely normal."

Suddenly the Dove was right in her face, no farther than a few inches, "I'll take that as a complement." Then she buried a fist into Thalia's midsection, sending her once again flying into the nearest wall.

Thalia clenched her eyes shut as pain pulsed through her body. When her red and black orbs reopened Sophie was standing triumphantly above her.

She had no more strength, her Bikaku faded away and her eyes returned to their normal stormy grey. She clenched her eyes shut and grimaced as she tried to stand. She slumped back onto the floor, unable to continue. "I believe this is where you bash my head in…", she said with a sad smile. "Thanks for my last good fight."

Sophie only stared into Thalia's eyes with her own. Her expression unreadable.

"It's hard to find a good sparring partner out here."

Thalia's eyes widened in surprise as the CCG agent reached down and grabbed the collar of her shirt, lifting her to her feet.

Sophie smirked as the Ghoul stumbled, "Our next fight better last longer. I want you to really test me." She turned and made her way towards a nearby stairwell, "Don't get yourself killed until then."

Thalia watched as she made her way calmly down the stairs. It wasn't long before exhaustion took her and she fell into unconsciousness.

* * *

"She… Got away?"

"Yes Sir. Unfortunately Sir."

"From you?"

"Yes sir. By the time I had caught up with Jarrell he had already been killed by the Dragon. The Ghoul herself was nowhere in sight. Sir."

A grey haired man in a navy blue business suit sighed, "Well then…" He reached over and pulled some paperwork from his desk, "I'm glad that you made it out alive. Would be a shame to lose such a talented combat specialist like yourself."

He missed the faint smile that flashed briefly across Sophie Pharr's lips.

"Yes Sir. It would."


	6. Chapter 6

Jacob awoke to the smell of smoke filling his nostrils. He gasped for air only to inhale the ash that swirled around him. Angry reds and oranges filled his vision, huge walls of flame rose up from the floor and licked the walls of the church. His Kagune sprouted just in time to swat aside a heavy wooden beam that fell from above. His mind was in a panic, all his instincts screamed to run, flee, find any means of escape and take it. But he was frozen, his gaze dared around, fire was everywhere.

"More fire! The demon has to come out eventually!"

Jacob's head snapped to the front of the church, the giant wooden door shining with bright flames. He smelled the faint scent of human above the ash and soot. A retaliation.

He stumbled to the door, coughing uncontrollably while his Rinkaku dragged uselessly behind him. He tripped on several occasions, falling to his knees and burning his skin on the many glowing cinders that littered the floor.

Finally he stood at the door, he shielded his eyes from the heat of the blaze and slowly lifted his shaking Rinkaku. The red limbs punched through the door with little to no effort, shattering the flaming wood and sending the charred splinters flying outwards. He coughed, choking on the smoldering air as he stumbled through the doorway.

A crowd of around twenty humans stood before his crumpled form.

"It's the demon! The one that has been stealing our friends and family!", one man said. He stood in front of the others. He pulled back his leather jacket to reveal two small firearms. He drew one and lifted it, pressing it to Jacobs head as the Ghoul struggled to stand. "Be gone demon! I send your soul screaming back to Hell!"

For a while Jacob only knew darkness.

* * *

Jacob gasped, coughing as he was dragged back into the world of the living. Everything pulsed with pain, his arms, his legs, even his insides burned. He opened his eyes to find himself alone in front of the charred remains of the church he used to live in. The blackened wood had fallen in on itself, leaving only a pile of rubble and ash.

It was gone.

Everything he had worked towards to build his peaceful life had been burned away in the blink of any eye. Now once again he was left with nothing. For a while he simply cried, tears sliding down his face and leaving streaks in the soot that covered his skin.

He sat there for a long time. He was there all through the rest of the night. Until the morning light began to brighten the sky from black, to grey, to blue. It was then that Jacob noticed a shimmer on the horizon, beneath the rising sun was the glimmer of buildings. The City.

The Ghoul glanced back at the pile of charred wood and blackened stone. He struggled to his feet and took a deep breath of the cool morning air.

And he took the first step towards a new life.


	7. Chapter 7

Sophie sprinted across the rooftops, the object of her chase dead ahead, "Target is on Hamilton and Breaker Street." She spoke into her wrist comm as she leaped across an intersection that bustled with cars far below.

A voice replied into her earpiece, "Copy that. Stay en route until backup arrives. Engage only if necessary. Command out."

Sophie nodded to herself and pressed onwards. The dark shape bounded over the flat roofs of the cityscape, leaping over and off of any obstacles in the way in order to gain speed. Suddenly it leaped over the edge of a building and disappeared into the darkness of an alley. The CCG Agent wasted no time in her pursuit of the target, following them into the shadows below.

Sophie landed with a heavy thud, her gauntlet left a small crater in the concrete as she used it to break her fall. "Show yourself!", she called out into the blackness. Her only answer was a slight rustle to her right. Her eyes darted back and forth, searching for the source of the noise.

Suddenly a gust of wind pushed past her as the Ghoul made a break for the busy street at the end of the alley. Sophie's fist flashed out, catching her target square in the chest and sending them flying into the brick wall of the alleyway. Bricks cracked and crumbled from the impact. Sophie's white CCG coat waved briefly in the breeze caused by the sudden movements.

A thin pink Kagune lashed out from the cloud of dust, Sophie jumped back to avoid it easily. It wasn't nearly as fast as the Kagune she usually went up against.

As her opponent emerged from the cloud of dust his eyes had gone full ghoul. His irises shone menacingly in the dark alley. He let out a roar as he charged, a pink, blade-like Bikaku whirling in his wake.

Sophie sidestepped, letting the Kagune slip past her as she spun around to deliver a swift roundhouse kick to the Ghoul's back as he passed.

The Ghoul grunted as he was thrown, his Bikaku dove into the ground as he ground to a stop. Once again he lunged, opting to attack with a quick series of stabs from his tail.

Sophie brushed each strike aside with her Quingue, sparks began to fly off of the two combatant's weapons. The bursts of orange light briefly illuminated the alley.

"I won't let you stop me!", the Ghoul yelled as he pressed his attack. His eyes burned with fury as he struck out with his Bikaku again and again, struggling to land even a single blow with blinding speed.

Sophie pushed back, matching his lashing Kagune easily.

I believe this is where you bash my head in…

Sophie's eyes widened as the Ghoul she was fighting twisted, slamming his Bikaku into her side at full force. She gasped as her body flew through the air, tumbling to a stop on the concrete floor of the alley. She opened her eyes, two of her ribs had cracked on the impact, the pain blurred her vision.

"You're lucky I have more important things to do…", The Ghoul said as he picked up what was left of his mask. He turned and started out of the alley.

Sophie lunged, a gauntlet reaching swiftly up to grip the Ghoul by the throat. He choked and gasped for breath as she closed her hand tighter, "Next time.", she said through clenched teeth, "Make sure I'm dea-"

"Daddy?"

Both combatants turned to see a small girl, the lights of the street behind her casting a shadow over her face. Two red eyes glowed softly in the dim alley.

The Ghoul in Sophie's hand struggled to form his Bikaku. Only to fail as the strain caused it to crumble to dust. "Lily…", he choked out, "Run." He threw a small package out to the child, "Get as far away as you can…" The CCG agent quickly realized the contents of the package when a red liquid could be seen seeping through its paper covering. The man turned back to glare at Sophie, gripping her arm as tightly as he could, "Take me. Just let her go…" There was a gleam in his eyes. One she had seen countless times before on many of her missions as a Dove.

Thanks for my last good fight…

Sophie grit her teeth and dropped the Ghoul. He crumpled to the ground like a sack of bricks, finally allowing air to rush back into his oxygen-deprived lungs. "Get out of here.", Sophie growled, "Before I change my mind." The two Ghouls didn't hesitate to make a hasty retreat, she watched them go, struggling to sort out her thoughts.

"What's happening to me…"


End file.
